Double purpose chair



Uci. 21, 1969 v. R. HART 3 DOUBLE PURPOSE CHAIR Filed Dec. 21. 67

IN VIE/i Tea By W LW States 3,473,843 DOUBLE PURPOSE CHAIR Victor Reginald Hart. 156 Camden High St, London NW. 1, England Filed Dec. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 692,418 tClairns priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 13, 1967, 6,753/ 67 1nt. Cl. A47c 13/00; A631) 69/06 US. Cl. 297130 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a double purpose chair, in particular a chair which is convertible to a sculling machine of the kind comprising a seat which is longitudinally reciprocable along a base, a pair of levers pivotally mounted on the base between the seat and one end of the base and a foot rest at that end of the base, such that an operator sitting on the seat with his feet on the foot rest and grasping the ends of the levers can operate the levers in simulation of the operation of sculling. The device usually incorporates means for applying resistance to the working stroke, that is the pulling of the levers towards the seat.

The invention consists of a chair which is convertible to a sculling machine and which comprises an adjustable framework including sculling devices pivoted thereto, said framework being adapted when adjusted to one position to form the framework of a chair and to support a seat which with the seat removed can be collapsed into a second and substantially flat state in which limbs of said framework can be utilized to support said seat in a horizontally slidable manner so that the seat can be reciprocated as a user manipulates said sculling devices simulating the action of sculling.

According to a specific form of the invention the chair comprises three frames consisting of a main frame having upwardly and rearwardly inclined side limbs constituting a chair back, a first subsidiary frame having side limbs pivoted at or adjacent to their upper ends to the side limbs of the main frame at approximately midway of the length of the latter and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the latter to form a rear strut, a second subsidiary frame comprising side limbs pivoted to the lower ends of the side limbs of the main frame to form upwardly and forwardly directed front legs, a seat detachably connected at the front and back thereof to the upper ends of the front legs and to the upper end of the rear strut, and a pair of sculling devices pivoted to the lower ends of the limbs of the main frames in such a manner that they can be caused to occupy unobstructive positions when the chair is used as such and caused to occupy alternative positions in which they can be used to simulate the action of sculling when the frame members are adjusted about their pivotal connections to assume a horizontally collapsed condition in which said seat is adapted to be supported on said main frame so as to be reciprocable thereon.

Preferably, each of said sculling devices comprises an outrigger to the outer end of which a part representing a scull is hingedly connected and movable about said 3,473,843 Patented Oct. 21, 1969 hinge against the influence of adjustable spring means incorporated in the elbow between the outrigger and the scu 1.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view from below of the device erected to constitute a chair;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view from above of the device collapsed to constitute a sculling machine; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing the connection between a sculling device and a side frame member of the chair.

Referring to said drawings, the chair comprises a main U-shape frame having upwardly and rearwardly inclined side limbs 1 bridged at their upper ends by the closed end 2 of the U which is fitted with a hinged angularly adjustable back rest 3. Hinged to said side limbs 1 of the main frame is a first subsidiary frame which is also of U shape and each of the side limbs 4 of this subsidiary frame is provided at its upper end with a small plate 5 which is connected by a pivot pin 6 to an adjacent side limb 1 of the main frame. Opening movement of this first subsidiary frame away from the main frame to a position in which it extends downwardly and rearwardly from the latter to form a rear strut which is closed at its lower floor-engaging end is limited by the upper ends 4a of the side limbs 4 abutting the side limbs 1 of the main frame, said ends 4a terminating at one side of the pivot pin 6. The outer free ends of the plates where they extend a short distance beyond their pivotal anchorages 6 and are bridged by a rod 7 with which hooks 7a on the rear marginal part of a seat 8 can be engaged.

The underside of the forward marginal edge of the seat 8 is fitted at one side with a vertically slotted bracket 10 which engages over a fixed pin 11 projecting inwardly from one side limb 12 of a second subsidiary frame also of U-shape and at the other side with a bracket 13 formed with a hole in which can engage a spring-loaded pin 14 (FIGURE 2) fitted with a pull knob 15. The ends of the crossbar 12a of this second subsidiary frame are mounted on pivot pins 16 extending inwardly from the side members 1 of the main frame so as to permit this second subsidiary frame to hinge to the position shown in FIG- URE 2 when the seat 8 is removed. This second subsidiary frame extends forwardly and upwardly from just above the lower ends of the side limbs 1 of the main frame and in combination with the cross bar 7 at the upper end of the rear strut provides for a stable support for the seat 8.

The lower ends of each of the side limbs 1 of the main frame has hinged thereto a sculling device comprising two tubular members 17 and 18 constituting respectively an outrigger and a scull and the inner end of the former slides into a sleeve 19 formed with a hollow boss 20 which engages about and turns around the lower end of the side limb 1 of the main frame to which it is fitted. The inner end of each scull is fitted with a spring loaded pin which snaps into a hole in the sleeve 19 to retain these parts detachably connected together.

When the chair is used as such, the outrigger 17 and scull 18 of each sculling device are folded towards one another (FIGURE 1) about a knuckle joint 21 by which they are connected so as to extend closely together and if required in parallelism with one another and also to the side of the apparatus, these parts being directed rearwardly so that each knuckle joint 21 is immediately behind the rear edge of the seat 8 just above floor level. Alternatively, the sculling devices may be disconnected and removed.

When the chair is converted into a sculling machine (FIGURE 2), the seat 8 is removed and the second subsidiary frame comprising the side limbs 12 lowered to floor 1evel.

One end of each of said bosses 20 is formed with four notches or castellations as indicated at 22 in FIGURE 3 and the boss is held against turning from its position shown in FIGURE 1 so as to retain the members 17 and 18 directed rearwardly, by engaging an opposed pair of said notches with a fixed locking pin 23 extending from each side of an associated frame member 1 the boss being yieldingly held against axial displacement in a direction which would result in the notches 22 disengaging from the pin 23 by a spring loaded pin 24 which is depressed into the side member 1 When the boss 20 is intentionally moved axially. When the conversion is being effected the notches 22 are disengaged from the pin 23 by sliding the boss in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE 3 during which the pin 24 yields and the boss 20 can then be turned about its axis through 90 to permit the remaining pair of opposed notches 22 to engage with the fixed locking pin 23 and retain the sleeves 19 directed outwardly from the sides 1 of the main frame as shown in FIGURE 1. This adjustment enables the Outrig ers together with the sculls to be folded outwardly, laterally and substantially at floor level away from the sides of the apparatus and this enables the first mentioned subsidiary frame members 4 together with the main frame members 1 to be folded down onto the floor with the subsidiary frame located inside the main frame.

The seat 8 is then placed in position on the now horizontally disposed side limbs 1 of the main frame and to enable this seat to reciprocate similar to the seat of a boat the underside of the seat is fitted with grooved wheels 25 which are positioned to roll on said side limbs 1 of the main frame.

The ends 12b of the side limbs 12 of the second subsidiary frame are bent upwardly and forwardly out of the plane of this frame and are fitted with a footboard 26 provided with looped feet-engaging straps 27.

The elbows or knuckle joints 21 between each of the Outriggers 17 and its associated scull 1 8 includes an adjustable spring means 28 which can be set to vary the effort required to pull the scull 18 about the end of its outrigger 17 thereby producing a resistance simulating that against which a scull acts during sculling.

The knuckle joint connection 21 between the connected together ends of the Outriggers 17 and the sculls 18 is such that the latter can be raised slightly and moved backwards and forwards in an identical manner to the movement of sculls during an actual sculling operation.

I claim:

1. A chair which is convertible to a sculling machine comprising an adjustable framework including sculling devices pivoted thereto, said framework being adapted when adjusted to one position to form the framework of a chair and to support a seat which with the seat removed can be collapsed into a second and substantially fiat state in which limbs of said framework can be utilized to support said seat in a horizontally slidable manner so that the seat can be reciprocated as a user manipulates said sculling devices simulating the action of sculling, there being employed three frames consisting of a main frame having upwardly and rearwardly inclined side limbs constituting a chair back, a first subsidiary frame having side limbs pivoted at or adjacent to their upper ends to the side limbs of the main frame at approximately midway of the length of the latter and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the latter to form a rear strut, a second subsidiary frame comprising side limbs pivoted to the lower ends of the side limbs of the main frame to form upwardly and forwardly directed front legs, a seat detachably connected at the front and back thereof to the upper ends of the front legs and to the upper end of the rear strut, and a pair of sculling devices pivoted to the lower ends of the limbs of the main frames in such a manner that they can be caused to occupy unobstructive positions when the chair is used as such and caused to occupy alternative positions in which they can be used to'simulate the action of sculling when the frame members are adjusted about their pivotal connections to assume a horizontally collapsed condition in which said seat is adapted to be supported on said main frame so as to be reciprocable thereon.

2. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said sculling devices comprises an outrigger to the outer end of which a part representing a scull is hingedly connected and movable about said hinge against the influence of adjustable spring means incorporated in the elbow between the outrigger and the scull, the inner end of each outrigger being detachably connected to a sleeve extending from a hollow boss turntable about its axis on the lower end of a side limb of said main frame.

3. A chair as claimed in claim 2 wherein said boss is releasably locked against turning on said side limb of the main frame in each of two alternative positions, one of which locates the scull and an associated outrigger rearwardly directed against the side of the chair when the device is used as such, and the other of which locates the scull and its associated outrigger in an outwardly folded lateral position at floor level at one side of the device when the chair is collapsed to constitute a sculling machine.

4. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second subsidiary frame is fitted with a foot board provided with looped feet-engaging straps for use when the chair 1S converted into a sculling machine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,727,657 9/1929 Martin 27 -72 1,979,562 11/1934 Morgan 297-57 X 2,690,209 9/1954 Counihan 272-58 X 2,724,428 11/1955 Sellner 272-58 3,137,511 6/1964 Weil et al 297-118 X 3,266,801 8/1966 Johnson 272-72 3,378,259 4/1968 Kupchinski 272-58 JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

